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Information reaching the executive office of RECOWACERAO NEWS AGENCY, RECONA has indicated that a renowned Catholic Bishop in Togo has recently Urged 19 Newly Ordained Priests to Accept “formation in the school of Jesus Christ”.

Bishop François Xavier Ghanbodè Gnonhossou of the Catholic Diocese of  Dassa-Zoumé in Togo has urged the 19  Priests he ordained to nurture their relationship with the person of Jesus Christ as “authentic” witnesses to truth and justice.

In his homily during the August 3 Priestly ordination, Bishop Gnonhossou described the Priesthood as “first and foremost a choice made by the Lord Himself for the spiritual good and salvation of His people.”

“This choice, which is the subject of today’s ordinations confirms and legitimizes your vocational journey. However, it does not mark the end of vocational discernment, which continues in the spirit of fidelity and undivided love for the Lord and the Church,” he said during the Eucharistic celebration at St. Teresa of Avila Kognito Parish of Lomé Archdiocese.

The Togolese Catholic Bishop explained, “The exercise of Priestly ministry is another place of formation in the school of Jesus Christ. He asks nothing in return but your love and fidelity in the service of the Church, and a true and authentic witness.”

“One of the virtues that the Priest, like Christ his master, must cultivate in order to work towards making the kingdom of God grow in the world is to be servants of truth and justice,” Bishop Gnonhossou said.

The Togolese member of the Society of African Missions (SMA) continued, “The role of the Priest is not to deceive, but to tell the truth, even if he has to keep abreast of the prevailing mentality, hopes, and despairs of his contemporaries.”

“A Priest is an awakener of conscience. In this sense, with courage and respect, he confronts the people with the responsibility that is theirs,” the Catholic Bishop told the Priests-elect.

Taking inspiration from John the Baptist, he said, a Priests “needs to be a man with true inner freedom … a man with no ambition other than faith and truth; and a man without fear.”

The secret of “fruitfulness” of your Priestly ministry, he went on to tell the Deacons he was to ordain Priests, lie in “fidelity to God, to the Church, to prayer, obedience and the effort to be constantly in the dynamic of imitating Christ who gave His life for the salvation of the world.”

The Local Ordinary of Dassa-Zoumé highlighted three “unavoidable pillars that all Priests must know and keep forever.”

The first pillar, he said, “is an integral faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You receive no power today but that faith in God. We must die for God.”

“The second pillar is unwavering love for the Catholic Church. You have to love the Church as it is a love that goes beyond everything. We must love the Church,” the Catholic Church leader emphasized.

The third pillar, he continued, “is the celebration of the mysteries, the seven Sacraments. We need to take time to prepare and celebrate the mysteries and Sacraments.”

For these pillars to remain permanent in the life of a Priest, Bishop Gnonhossou said, “faith and prayer” are vitally important.

“Let us pray and beseech God so that the limits and fragility inherent in human nature may never dim the grace of the Priestly anointing you will receive today,” he implored during the August 3 celebration.

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The Catholic Bishop further implored, “May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that of all the Saints accompany you in this noble mission. May the power of the Holy Spirit keep you faithful to your commitments and enable you to be joyful and healthy Priests of the Catholic Church.”

The 19 Deacons ordained Priests include five members of the Religious Institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), four members of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), two members of the Congregation of the Sons of Divine Providence (Don Orione Fathers), two members of the Order of St. Francis (OSF), two SMA members, two members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers), a member of the of the Augustinians of the Assumption (AA), and a member of the Society of Jesus (SJ/Jesuits).

Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu
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